Analysing the Quality Gap: Reflections on Results from an Australasian Universitas 21 Libraries Standard Survey of Service Quality

Abstract

In 1999 four large Australasian university libraries undertook a common client perception of service quality survey based on aspects of SERVQUAL concepts. The survey measured client perceptions of the service expectations of more than 40 items describing aspects of service provision, client perceptions of performance on these items and hence the perceived gaps in service provision. Brief conclusions are drawn on client characteristics, responses and areas in which strategies are being implemented to target particular service quality improvement priorities. The participating libraries are members of the Universitas 21 Libraries group. Since reports on orchestrated survey projects across a number of institutions are not yet common, this information may be of wider interest and may also contribute in a small way to the library service quality research agenda which aims to ‘Develop customer-based measures that complement or replace performance input and output measures’.